Electric cigar lighter



' Feb; 15, 1927.

J. R; ONEIL ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Feb.

INIVENTOR J R. O'Neil ATTORNEYS e ema Feb. 15, 1921. I

UNITED STATES ear r ts? JAMES R. DNEIL, OF CHICAG'Q, ILLINOIS.

ELECT BIC CIGAR LIGHTER.

Application filed February My invention relates to improveinentsqin electric cigar lighters, and it consists in the comhimltions, constructions, and at rang-mutants herein described and claimed.

Anohject of my invention is to provide an electric organ lighter which makes use of novel means for locking the reel iroin winding the cable thereupon after the cable,

has been unwound from the reel during use, whereln the strain upon the cable is re lieved.

, A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the reel-lockin means is released when the cable is slightly pulled and, then released, this movement being very similar to the releasing of a window shade to permit it to wind up upon the roller.

A further object of my invention .is to provides device of the type described in which the reel-locking means is energized bythe current in the circuit that energizes the heating element, this circuit being controlled by a push button.

A further object 01": my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction, durable an d eihdevice.

7 5 ing secured to t screws 3, or other like fastening means. In

In carrying out my invention, I provide a casing 1 havi. a cover 2, tlns coverhee casing 1 by means of the casi ng,'1 mount a reel 4. This reel has a side' 5 provided with ratchet teeth 6 of the shape shown in Figures 1 and 2. It will he noted from Figure 2 that the teeth are bent at an'angle. This construction prevents the teeth from striking the cable 7 and fraying the latter.

The other side 8 of the reelA is fashioned with a hub portion Sand with a 8, 1826. Serial Ho. 86,882.

flange 10, the flange 10 and the side 8 forming a recess tor receiving a coil spring 11. A partition 12 is disposed adjacent to the side 8 and carries a sleeve 13 in which a nil shaft 14- is disposed. One end of the spring 11 is connected to the shaft 1%, while the other end is connected to the flange 10, see Y: igure The spring is coiled in a manner to create a tension for rotating the reel in $5 the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1.

The shaft l t is passed through a cover." plate 15 and also through the cover 2. Lock nuts 15 rigidly secure the shaft 1% to the cover 2 and prevent rotation of the shaft it with respect to the cover. The

lock nuts 16 also provide one of the terminals from which a wire 17 leads. This wire is grounded to the chassis of the automobile,

as indicated at 18 in Figure 4C.

The cover plate 15 and the sides 5 and 8 rotate upon the shaft lei, and due to the action of the spring 11 are adapted to wind the cable '5 upon the reel 4. I will now tieagainst return movement.

This means is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. in Figure 1,1 show a magnet 19 which is carried by av bracket 20, this lorack- .scribe the novel means for locking thereel et being" secured to the casing l. The brackct is secured to one end of the magnet by a nut 21 and has its other end disposed adjacent to the opposite end of the magnet whereby the bracket acts as a path for the magnetic flux. The bracket 20 carries a pin 22 99 upon which a pawl. 23 is pivotally secured. The pawl has a tooth portion for engaging with the ratchet teeth 6. The shape of the teeth 8 and the inclination of the tooth 24:

causes the pawl. 23 to remain in engagement with the teeth 6 until the cable 7 is given a slight pull to permit the pawl to drop "tree of the teeth. l l hen the magnet 19 is ener' glued, it will draw the pawl 23 toward it,

thus causing the tooth 2-1- to engage with the ratchet teet i The pawl 23 is moved into 'gisengagemcnt by means of a compression pring The spring bears against a lug 26 struck up from the casing 1 and against the end '27 of the pawl 23.

I. will now describe the heating element. Asshown in Figure l, the cable 7 passes into a casing 28 and one of the Wires of the cable is grounded to the casing at 29. A push button 30 is adapted to move a spring tor minal 31 into contact with a stationary ter minal 32-.- The terminal 32 is connected to "the heating element 33, which in the present various parts of the device, t e operationthereof may be readily understood. In Fig ure 4, I show a wiring diagram of the circuit. It will be noted that one of the wires in the cable 7 is grounded to, the reel 4, whereby the'wire 17 is electrically connected to the wire 7.. In Figure 2, I show how the wire 7' is grounded to the sleeve 13.

When the switch isclosed, the wire 7 is couneeted'to the wire 7, the current passing from the wire 7 through the heating element 33 and then through the wire 7 In Figure l, I- show the wire 7 grounded to a terminal plate 36. Figure 2 also shows the wire as being grounded to the terminal plate 36. The plate is insulated from the reel 4 by means of a fiber disc 37. In Fig tired, I show a spring contact 38 as hearing against the disc 36 and as being" secured to a fiber disc 39,-the fiber disc 39 in turn being secured to the casing l. A wire 40 leads from the spring contact 38 to the magnet 19.

From the magnet 19, a wire 41 leads to an insulated terminal 42. From-this point, a wire 43 electrically connects the me et 19 with a source of current 44, prefera ly the storage battery of the automobile. The other terminal of the source of current 44 isconnected by a wire 45 is the chassis of the car, which is shown as ground 46.

, When now the operator wishes to use the device, he grasps the casing 28 and pulls upon the casing, thus unwinding the cable 7 from the reel 4. Upon depressing the push button 30, the circuit is closed through the heating element. 33 and through the magnet 19 in the manner heretofore described. This causes the pawl 23 to lock the reel against return movement, wherebythe cable '5 may new.

aste he held slack without any danger of havin the reel wind the cable thereupon. It wil be obvious that the casing 28 may be passed from person to person in the car if desired,

the push button 30 being actuated each time it is desired to cause the currentto flow through the heatin element 33. When through, it is mere y necessary to give a slight pull upon the cable 7, whereupon the compression spring 25 will swing the pawl 23 out of engagement with the teeth 6, and

7 upon the reel 4. The device is extremely the coil spring 11 will quickly wind the cable simple in construction and provides'novel 7 when the device is in use.

I claim: 7

1. An electric cigar lighter comprisin a casing, a reel mounted in said casin :1. ca, 1e adapted to be mounted upon sai heating element carried by said cable, ratchet teetlrcut in said reel, an electrically-con trolled pawl for locking said reel. against return movement, and a switch for closing a.

reel, a

means for relieving the strain upon the cable I circuit connected with said heating element and with said electrically-controlled aw].

2. In a device of the type descri edfa s ring-actuated reel having ratchet teeth t erein, an electrically-controlled awl for locking the reel against return movement, a cable adapted to be wound upon said're'el, cheating element carried by said cable,'and a switch for electrically connectin vsaid heating element and said electrical y con trolled pawl with a source of current.

' 3. A device-of the type described com prising a casing,- a reel rotatably mounted in said casing and having ratchet'teeth, a magnet mounted in sa d casing, a pawl adapted to beswung into engagement with said ratchet teeth when saidmagnet is energized, the ratchet teeth andsaid pawl be ing shaped for causing the pawl to remain in engagement with said ratchetteeth until the reel is moved, spring means for return ing the pawl into inoperative position, a cebleadapted to be wound upom's'aid reel, a heating element carried by said cable, and a switch carried by said cable for electrically connecting said heating element and said magnet with a source of current.

JAMES R; ONEIL. 

